Doobie Doo
Veteran
Colleton sheriff candidate addresses blackface, other 'mistakes' in campaign video
by Drew Tripp & Kate Mosso
Tuesday, October 8th 2019
Colleton County Sheriff candidate Craig Stivender released this photo which he says shows himself appearing in blackface at a Halloween party. He now says he realizes it was a mistake. (Photos: Stivender for Sheriff, via Facebook)
COTTAGEVILLE, SC (WCIV) — Ahead of the 2020 election, a longtime law enforcement officer running for Colleton County sheriff is owning up to mistakes he says he's made in the past.
One of the mistakes Craig Stivender admits to making is appearing in blackface at a Halloween party he says he attended with other law enforcement officers about a decade ago.
Stivender, 36, is a dual-certified public safety captain with the Walterboro police and fire departments. Stivender is one of at least five people who've announced plans to challenge incumbent Andy Strickland for Colleton County Sheriff in the 2020 election.
Anticipating attempts by political rivals to "tarnish his integrity," Stivender addressed the blackface issue and other "mistakes" in a video posted Tuesday, Oct. 8, to his "Stivender for Sheriff" campaign page on Facebook.
"It's important we have a sheriff whom we can trust, and that starts with being open and honest with you, the voters," Stivender says. "I'll be the first to tell you, I'm not perfect. I've made mistakes and I wish I could change a thing or two, but that's part of life: learning, growing, moving forward and becoming a better person.
Stivender starts by mentioning a traffic ticket he got at 16, then shared he's been divorced and since gotten remarried. Stivender admits he's lost his temper on the job before, and subsequently been punished for it. He's been involved in "fender benders" that were his fault, Stivender says.
In stark contrast to those admissions, Stivender then begins offering background on the time he appeared in blackface.
The video shows an undated photograph in which Stivender, who is white, is embracing an African American woman. Stivender is wearing a large necklace and an earring. The skin tone of his head and arms is noticeably darker than it appears throughout the rest of the video.
Stivender explains in the video he was attempting to portray "ruthless drug kingpin" Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory, who is African American.
"I did it to disparage a criminal whose actions hurt our community and this country," Stivender says.
Flenory and his brother, Terry, were the leaders of an organized crime group called the Black Mafia Family, which operated across the southeast, according to the DEA.
The Flenory brothers pleaded guilty in 2007 to federal drug trafficking and money laundering charges, and were both sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2008, which is about the time the photo would've been taken.
"That was a different time," Stivender added. "Today we understand that type of costume is troubling to many. To those who may be upset, I understand your disappointment."
Blackface controversies have gained increasing public exposure in recent years.
The once accepted practice of altering one's skin tone to portray comedic caricatures of African Americans has become increasingly regarded as racially offensive and derogatory.
The most notable recent incident involved white Virginia governor Ralph Northam, who publicly apologized in 2019 for appearing in a photo depicting blackface and a member of the Ku Klux KLan while in college in 1984.
In South Carolina, both The Citadel and the University of South Carolina recently have apologized for blackface portrayals that appeared in decades-old yearbooks.
"I value honesty, so I'm opening my campaign with transparency," Stivender said of his decision to reveal the photo, as opposed to attempting to hide it, which he says other politicians would've done.
Stivender began his law enforcement career with the Cottageville Police Department. Later he became a Colleton County Sheriff's Office deputy, before taking a role on the police force with the Walterboro Public Safety Department.
Since announcing his candidacy for sheriff, a Walterboro Police spokesperson says Stivender has exclusively worked for the city's fire service.
According to Stivender, recent incidents have shown "a change in leadership" is needed at the Colleton County Sheriff's Office, which has prompted him to run for the office.
"Our top law enforcement professional should use that office to protect and serve, not punish political opponents or settle personal scores," Stivender says in the video.
Recently, Colleton Sheriff Andy Strickland has been publicly criticized for an email he sent to all sheriff's office personnel under the subject line "Calling a few out!"
In the email, Strickland told his staff to "read between the lines" as he reminded them "South Carolina is a at will state," and asked them to "remain loyal" to him.
The email was interpreted by some as a threat not to involve themselves in the politics of the upcoming sheriff election. Strickland is running for a third term in 2020.
"If a potential candidate contacts you, my advice to you would be not get involved," Strickland wrote in the email, adding "From here on out, zero tolerance is now in effect. This is a promise to you and this office! Stay in your lane."
Stivender personally doesn't mention the email in the video, but the video itself does show excerpts of a Post and Courier article about the incident.
Stivender is meeting with ABC News 4's Kate Mosso Tuesday night in Cottageville to further discuss the video and his decision to release the photo. This story will be updated with additional comments from Stivender.
Colleton sheriff candidate addresses blackface, other 'mistakes' in campaign video
by Drew Tripp & Kate Mosso
Tuesday, October 8th 2019
Colleton County Sheriff candidate Craig Stivender released this photo which he says shows himself appearing in blackface at a Halloween party. He now says he realizes it was a mistake. (Photos: Stivender for Sheriff, via Facebook)
COTTAGEVILLE, SC (WCIV) — Ahead of the 2020 election, a longtime law enforcement officer running for Colleton County sheriff is owning up to mistakes he says he's made in the past.
One of the mistakes Craig Stivender admits to making is appearing in blackface at a Halloween party he says he attended with other law enforcement officers about a decade ago.
Stivender, 36, is a dual-certified public safety captain with the Walterboro police and fire departments. Stivender is one of at least five people who've announced plans to challenge incumbent Andy Strickland for Colleton County Sheriff in the 2020 election.
Anticipating attempts by political rivals to "tarnish his integrity," Stivender addressed the blackface issue and other "mistakes" in a video posted Tuesday, Oct. 8, to his "Stivender for Sheriff" campaign page on Facebook.
"It's important we have a sheriff whom we can trust, and that starts with being open and honest with you, the voters," Stivender says. "I'll be the first to tell you, I'm not perfect. I've made mistakes and I wish I could change a thing or two, but that's part of life: learning, growing, moving forward and becoming a better person.
Stivender starts by mentioning a traffic ticket he got at 16, then shared he's been divorced and since gotten remarried. Stivender admits he's lost his temper on the job before, and subsequently been punished for it. He's been involved in "fender benders" that were his fault, Stivender says.
In stark contrast to those admissions, Stivender then begins offering background on the time he appeared in blackface.
The video shows an undated photograph in which Stivender, who is white, is embracing an African American woman. Stivender is wearing a large necklace and an earring. The skin tone of his head and arms is noticeably darker than it appears throughout the rest of the video.
Stivender explains in the video he was attempting to portray "ruthless drug kingpin" Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory, who is African American.
"I did it to disparage a criminal whose actions hurt our community and this country," Stivender says.
Flenory and his brother, Terry, were the leaders of an organized crime group called the Black Mafia Family, which operated across the southeast, according to the DEA.
The Flenory brothers pleaded guilty in 2007 to federal drug trafficking and money laundering charges, and were both sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2008, which is about the time the photo would've been taken.
"That was a different time," Stivender added. "Today we understand that type of costume is troubling to many. To those who may be upset, I understand your disappointment."
Blackface controversies have gained increasing public exposure in recent years.
The once accepted practice of altering one's skin tone to portray comedic caricatures of African Americans has become increasingly regarded as racially offensive and derogatory.
The most notable recent incident involved white Virginia governor Ralph Northam, who publicly apologized in 2019 for appearing in a photo depicting blackface and a member of the Ku Klux KLan while in college in 1984.
In South Carolina, both The Citadel and the University of South Carolina recently have apologized for blackface portrayals that appeared in decades-old yearbooks.
"I value honesty, so I'm opening my campaign with transparency," Stivender said of his decision to reveal the photo, as opposed to attempting to hide it, which he says other politicians would've done.
Stivender began his law enforcement career with the Cottageville Police Department. Later he became a Colleton County Sheriff's Office deputy, before taking a role on the police force with the Walterboro Public Safety Department.
Since announcing his candidacy for sheriff, a Walterboro Police spokesperson says Stivender has exclusively worked for the city's fire service.
According to Stivender, recent incidents have shown "a change in leadership" is needed at the Colleton County Sheriff's Office, which has prompted him to run for the office.
"Our top law enforcement professional should use that office to protect and serve, not punish political opponents or settle personal scores," Stivender says in the video.
Recently, Colleton Sheriff Andy Strickland has been publicly criticized for an email he sent to all sheriff's office personnel under the subject line "Calling a few out!"
In the email, Strickland told his staff to "read between the lines" as he reminded them "South Carolina is a at will state," and asked them to "remain loyal" to him.
The email was interpreted by some as a threat not to involve themselves in the politics of the upcoming sheriff election. Strickland is running for a third term in 2020.
"If a potential candidate contacts you, my advice to you would be not get involved," Strickland wrote in the email, adding "From here on out, zero tolerance is now in effect. This is a promise to you and this office! Stay in your lane."
Stivender personally doesn't mention the email in the video, but the video itself does show excerpts of a Post and Courier article about the incident.
Stivender is meeting with ABC News 4's Kate Mosso Tuesday night in Cottageville to further discuss the video and his decision to release the photo. This story will be updated with additional comments from Stivender.
Colleton sheriff candidate addresses blackface, other 'mistakes' in campaign video
